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Seeking to reinforce the
ranks
of the Winter
Kingdom's
depleted ranks is a mission
better suited to Eristta's missing brother. But, anything is better
than
skulking around the palace and waiting for the inevitable attack of
their
wicked foe, the sorcerer Garethan. Her discovery that her other brother
and his
best friend, the enticingly enigmatic shaman Red Claw, have conspired
to send
her on a simple errand to keep her out of danger and out of the way,
spurs the
elven princess to promise that she will return with more than outcasts
and
irregular troops to aid in the defense of their people. Any man or
beast who
tries to stop her is sure to find that he's met his match.
The chosen emissary of
the Winter
Kingdom
is a powerful shaman and shapeshifter. Red Claw sets out to seek
alliance and
reinforcements from the other kingdoms, yet he's tormented with needs
he's
suppressed for over 200 years. He is haunted by horrifying visions, and
should
he succumb to his desires, it could trigger a sequence of events,
giving rise
to a cataclysmic disaster he'd foreseen in a prophetic vision when he
first
settled in Tir na nOg.
Red Claw and Eristta
confront
the things that have haunted them for far too long and find a growing
bond that
could lead to the magic that can save their world—if they can learn to
manage
it. If not, all may be lost.
I enjoyed meeting Eristta
and
Red Claw in the first book, Wicked
Pleasures. Dangerous
Obsessions continues the saga of the threatened Winter
Kingdom
and explores the efforts of the cunning shaman and the Night Elven
princess,
who now take center stage to find their chance at true love. Ms.
Donovan draws
the reader closer into the web of intrigue surrounding this couple and
their
unrequited love against the backdrop of war and the threat of oblivion.
Eristta is a strong,
confident
woman who knows what she wants, yet is also willing to take the risks
and deal
with the consequences of her choices. Her passion for the Amerind
shaman who's
lived in Tir na nOg for the past 200 years has grown over time. It is
understandable why Red Claw has held himself aloof of his desire for
Eristta.
He could not have born the grief of losing her as his prescient visions
had
haunted him.
Both are strong, but
together,
the reader can truly believe that love is magic and stronger than a
great many
things, even the horrors of war.
Reviewed by Niniri
Theriault for The Road to Romance
September 20, 2004
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